Turkish Cypriot opposition political party CTP leader Tufan Erhurman on Thursday night challenged Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar to a television debate, as their back-and-forth disagreement over the Cyprus problem continues.
Tatar had on Thursday insisted that “diplomacy has not stopped” after being criticised by Erhurman for saying he would not attend a tripartite meeting with President Nikos Christodoulides and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, with Erhurman’s response being to call for “more dialogue”.
“Ersin Tatar has been kind enough to respond to my statements regarding developments on the Cyprus problem and I thank him. While, as he said, ‘diplomacy is working non-stop’ on this issue, we … need more dialogue, more exchanges of views, and more discussion,” he said.
He added, “Tatar has also asked me questions in response. I have repeatedly given answers to those questions in parliament, in public, and even face to face a few times. Of course, they may not have been fully understood or explained.”
“However, I have always been in favour of open dialogue, both at home and abroad, especially on such an issue which concerns our people, our country, and our future so intrinsically.
He added that in a television debate, “Tatar will have the opportunity to answer the questions I have publicly asked him many times.”
Tatar’s statements on Thursday had come after Erhurman had said Tatar allows Christodoulides to be “unfairly portrayed as the party who wants a solution” to the Cyprus problem”.
“We have been explaining for a long time that although Christodoulides presents himself as the party that wants a solution, he in fact carries with him serious question marks in terms of his sincerity and his reliability, somewhat reminiscent of [late President Tasos] Papadopoulos,” he said.
He added, “the recent story of the United Nations Secretary-General [Antonio Guterres’] ‘invitation’ unfortunately confirms this view we have held.”
He said that “Christodoulides’ public sharing of [Guterres’] proposal for a trilateral meeting had a negative impact on the process,” but that at the same time, “Tatar’s avoidance of diplomacy and dialogue does not protect the rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people.”
In his response, Tatar said, “Erhurman probably knows that the fact that no official talks are being held does not mean that diplomacy has stopped. Diplomacy is working non-stop and the attitude we are displaying is the most important element of these diplomatic contacts.”
He added, “the Greek Cypriot side is being asked to take our views into consideration. If Erhurman is ignoring these and criticising [me], the only reason he is doing it is to oppose for the sake of it.”
